Periodontal therapy improves gastric Helicobacter pylori eradication.

The oral cavity has been proposed as a reservoir for H. pylori that could be responsible for the refractoriness of gastric infection to triple therapy (antibiotics, antimicrobials, and proton pump inhibitors). The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficiency of combined periodontal and triple therapy vs. triple therapy alone, in gastric H. pylori eradication in persons with H. pylori in the subgingival biofilm. Individuals positive for H. pylori in their gastric and oral samples, as determined by nested PCR, were treated either with periodontal and triple therapy or with triple therapy alone. Our results indicate that 77.3% of those treated with the combined therapy exhibited successful eradication of gastric H. pylori, compared with 47.6% who underwent only triple therapy. Analysis of these data suggests that periodontal treatment in combination with systemic therapy could be a promising approach to increasing the therapy's efficacy and decreasing the risk of infection recurrence.

Diagnostic and therapy of locally advanced rectal cancer.

The aim of the study was to check the results of the protocol with neoadjuvant chemoirradiation for the treatment of locally advanced rectal cancer. The value of preoperative methods for staging of rectal cancer was also studied. In the period 1st of June 2000 - 31st of December 2005, 116 patients were included into the study, all with histologically proven rectal cancer up to 12 cm from anal verge and all with T3/T4 No-2 M0 stage. Median follow up was 48 months. Operability rate was 90,1%, local recurrency 12%, and survival 78%, though only 66% without sign of local or distant recurrency.

Assessment of gamma dose rates from terrestrial exposure in Serbia and Montenegro.

The gamma dose rates due to naturally occuring terrestrial radionuclides ((226)Ra, (232)Th and (40)K) were calculated based on their activities in soil samples, determined by gamma-ray spectrometry. A total of 140 soil samples from 21 different regions of Serbia and Montenegro were collected. The gamma dose rates ranged from 7.40 to 29.7 nGy h(-1) for (226)Ra, from 12.9 to 46.5 nGy h(-1) for (232)Th and from 12.5 to 37.1 nGy h(-1) for (40)K. The total absorbed gamma dose rate due to these radionuclides varied from 34.5 to 97.6 nGy h(-1) with mean of 66.8 nGy h(-1). Assuming a 20% occupancy factor, the corresponding annual effective dose varied from 4.23 x 10(-5) to 11.9 x 10(-5) Sv with mean of 8.19 x 10(-5) Sv, i.e. the dose was lower than world wide average value. According to the values of external hazard index (mean: 0.39) obtained in this study, the radiation hazard was found to be insignificant for population living in the investigated area.

[Evaluation of periodontal and oral mucosa status in HIV seropositive individuals]. / Stanje oralne sluznice i paradoncijuma u infekcijama humanim virusom imunodeficijencije.

We present the results of clinical and laboratory studies of HIV seropositive individuals. Twenty individuals in different stages of HIV infection (CDC clasification) and 20 healthy individuals were included in this study. The number of leucocytes, differential leucocyte count, number of CD4+ T lymphocytes and CD4/CD8 index were determined. Periodontal staus was determined by using plaque index (PI), gingival index (GI) and periodontal pocket depth (PPD). Fourty percent of HIV seroposiotive patients showed oral eflorescences and 35% confirmed the presence of subjective disturbances in oral cavity. Mean value of PPD (3.10+/-0.68) was significantly higher in these subjects than in those of the control group (2.36+/-0.92). At the same time, PI and GI showed no significant differences between the two examinde groups. No significant correlation between PI, GI and PPD on one side and the studied laboratory parameters on the other side, was found. No significant difference was found between HIV seropositive individuals with oral eflorscence and those without it.